


472. Falling in

by SevlinRipley



Category: It - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, First Dates, First Kiss, Holding Hands, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Movie Night, Pre-Slash, Sleepovers, Star Gazing, planning dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-03-26 20:59:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13865910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevlinRipley/pseuds/SevlinRipley
Summary: Just your average run-of-the-mill sleepytime cuddles.





	1. Chapter 1

A small 's' shape lay on the couch, one hand over the side, arm tucked beneath cheek, middle against the back, knees bent out, feet tucked back. A sheen of slobber exiting the corner of his parted mouth, caught by the light of the rolling credits on the t.v.

He wasn't the only one who'd fallen asleep during movie night. Ben was in a make-shift sleeping bag of Bev's comforter and a throw pillow. She'd been half tucked in, herself, throughout the movie, holding his hand at one side. And Bill's on the other, who'd sat with his knees bent up to his chest, free arm wrapped around them to keep himself balanced upward.

Mike had been in the large chair that faced the t.v. diagonally. Stan in front of him on top of Bev's bedroom pillow. Getting his shoulders occasionally massaged by Mike's pressing fingers. Stan had reciprocated, over Mike's socks, narrowly avoiding tickling Mike into laughing fit after laughing fit. At least they were watching a comedy, so it wouldn't have been completely out of place. Only, somewhere along the way it became clear the movie was half-baked, and when it got boring, Mike would lean over, wrap his arms over Stanley's shoulders, and whisper what Richie could only imagine were sweet nothings into his ear. Going by the soft smiles, and slow-burning blushes Stan gave off.

Once Ben had fallen asleep, Bill had whispered to Bev, and she'd carefully extracted herself from Ben's hand. Got up onto her knees, hovering over him, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Then pulled Bill up off the floor to follow after her. Outside to the dingy little park outside her apartments, to the swing set. Where she'd push Bill up, up into the air, and then climb onto the seat beside him. Kick herself up, practiced and elegant beneath the glow of the park lights. When they found a similar pace, they would grab each other's hand - Bev screaming out slightly, happy, when she was jerked forward, since they hand't been in perfect sync - and stay that way, talking over the wind in their ears for at least an hour.

Shortly after Bev and Bill peeled out, Mike pulled Stan up into his lap, holding him by the waist, chin tucked over his shoulder. Stanley counted Mike's knuckles with the pad of his finger over and over again. Learning which ones were more rough than the others, locking and unlocking their fingers together, tickling the nerves at the gaps, smoothing over Mike's nails and feeling the grooves and the silken smoothness simultaneously. A kiss pressed (by Mike) to his shoulder, and the side of his neck, the shell of his ear, _behind_ his ear, passed his curls, to the nape of his neck. And by the time the credits were rolling, they were gone, too.

Retired to Bev's bed, pillow taken with them, curled into each other on her small mattress with only the light of the moon casting blue over them. Stanley stroking down Mike's nose, leaning into kiss his mouth, Mike thumbing at Stan's lower lip. All as they whispered to each other about their future. All the things they were going to accomplish together. With their legs slotted together, and Mike's finger firmly hooked in Stan's belt loop.

Richie, himself, who'd been seated at the other end of the couch from Eddie, had faded out a couple of times. Cheek against his palm, glasses askew and pressing lines into his temple. Why no one thought to change the movie to something more interesting, he didn't know. Maybe they were all lazy, or maybe it just wasn't really about the movie.

He'd snored himself to wakefulness just as the credits began, jerking his head up, glasses falling down hard enough to end up on the tip of his nose. "What?" he'd asked the room before him. Finding no one there to answer. Apart from the _lame_ royalty-free music the low-budget filmmakers put to cover up a list of names no one would care to read. Unfortunate. Richie knew what it was like not to have his art appreciated...

As he blinked the sleep back from his eyes, he heaved a sigh. Looked down at Ben, sweet, peaceful Ben. Then to his side, where Eddie's pink-socked feet were parallel to his thigh. "Cute," he said, quietly, wrapping a hand around Eddie's ankle, and rubbing his thumb into the top of his foot. Careful not to wake him up. He wasn't really sure Bev's aunt would appreciate the spit stain on her couch cushion, though.

If he woke Eddie up now, maybe he could save it? And prevent future movie nights and sleepovers alike from being vetoed.

Pushing himself up off the couch, Richie gathered the blankets from his and Eddie's backpacks, then laid his on the floor by Ben, and Eddie's over the top of that. Haystack always let Richie cuddle him, and the room was chilly. So Richie thought he'd put himself in-between, have Eddie on his other side. He took his cushion off the couch, tucking a sliver of it beneath the end of his comforter, a pillow for Eddie. And the matching cushion from the chair Mike had been on, tucking it in for his own head to lie on.

Bev and Bill could sleep at Ben's head if they ever came back, Richie thought to himself, looking over Ben with his head cocked. It was their own fault for leaving, if they got jealous.

Richie turned the t.v. off, and the VCR too. Then went back to his pack, shedding his shorts so that he could sleep more comfortably, and shoving them in, glasses folded up on top.

He squinted a few times, adjusting to the blurriness before him. God, he had to get contacts... Biting into his lip, Richie moved to kneel before Eddie at the foot of the couch. "Eds," he whispered, half-fist hovering below Eddie's jaw, thumb stroking at the soft skin of his lower cheek. A giggle caught in his throat, as Eddie's face tightened sweetly, brows drawing at the interruption. "Eddie, you're drooling." His voice was a little louder, sturdier that time.

"'m sleepin-" Eddie mumbled, slurping up the spit in his mouth, before it could fall out. Richie rolled his eyes, and shook his head, mouth curved up in a huge smile.

"I know you are, but it's cold. Come sleep with me and Haystack. Keep you warm."

At that Eddie's body seemed to recognize the chill in the air, as he curled in on himself. Mouth thinning.

Richie sighed, dipping his thumb down to stroke at Eddie's lower lip. His chin twitched with the tickle of such a soft touch. Heart swelling, Richie let himself be mesmerized with everything about Eddie's mouth, thumb going to the dip of his chin where their curves fit as perfectly as if they'd been melded that way. Eddie's brow smoothed, then, however, and Richie mentally slapped himself across the face for getting distracted.

"Eds, wake up. Gotta move you off the couch so you don't slobber all over it like a baby."

Eddie made an offended noise, but stretched back from Richie's grasp, muscles loosening up and out of hibernation. Richie stopped crouching, standing up and taking both of Eddie's hands in his own to help him sit up. "C'mon sleepyhead. Got your bed all ready for ya."

"Kay," Eddie said, half-grumpy, half-sleepy.

Kicking the corner of Eddie's blanket to the side, Richie led Eddie into lying down. Careful he didn't clumsily bump into anything with his barely-open eyes, and his sleep-slow limbs. Then tucked the corner back around, and into Eddie's sides to keep the chill from getting to him. Back, around to the top of where their blankets met, Richie wriggled down between Ben and Eddie, savoring the familiar smell of his own blanket, mixed with the scent of Eddie from his, and the soft tinge from Ben's soap or aftershave. Something also distinctly Ben, that Richie was only somewhat less familiar with than Eddie's.

With Eddie's blanket tucked under his chin, Richie found Ben's hand between Bev's and patted at it gently before turning onto his side to face Eddie. Who had moved since Richie laid him down, and his nose was just a half-foot away from Richie's own. "Eds, are you awake?" Richie asked hushed.

"Mn," was all Eddie could manage. Awake but not. Probably well on his way back.

Richie swallowed. His hazy sight blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, along with Eddie's departure to dreamland making him brave. "Can I - Can I like - cause it's cold?" He rolled his eyes at himself. Yeah, Eddie was really gonna be able to puzzle _that_ together in this state.

"Hm?"

"If you turn around," Richie tried, putting the hardest step for Eddie at the front of his suggestion, get the work out of the way and into the easy part. The part where Eddie didn't have to worry about anything. "I can like, hold you closer, keep us warm."

"Wha -?"

"He wants to cuddle you," Ben bit out, numbly awake.

Richie's eyes went wide, forehead scrunched up. "Well, shit, Ben. If I knew you were awake I woulda just asked _you_."

Ben huffed out a laugh. "And I would've said yes, but not anymore. Eddie needs it; I already got all my warmth built up," Ben said, reasonably. Richie felt Ben poke him in the lower back, silently suggesting he just move closer to Eddie. Man-handle him into place and just snuggle him already. Richie could've kissed him for making a logical reason for Richie to actually cuddle Eddie... Not that he _didn't_ want to take advantage of Ben's soft warmth, too. But... _Eddie_.

Clearing his throat, Richie scooted forward. "Yeah - what Ben said. Okay?"

Eddie's soft face said he was pretty much gone, but still he managed to huff out the softest little 'yes' mankind had ever heard. Maybe didn't even know on a conscious level what he was agreeing to. But if he had any objections as Richie gently guided him onto his other side, or enfolded him from behind, Richie would take heed immediately. Maybe even leave the blankets entirely and go find Bill and Bev until his humiliation simmered down.

"Gonna move you, Eds," Richie whispered, closer now. Hand going to Eddie's upper arm, rolling him over, and then falling in along Eddie's back, arm around Eddie's waist. He used the tips of his fingers to make sure the comforter was still tucked in at Eddie's open side, and then curled his fingers into Eddie's tee shirt.

He huffed out a little release of tension, let his eyes fall closed as he let the heat sink in. Pressed his warmer leg over the top of one of Eddie's, where his skin was colder. "Okay?" he asked, tentatively reading the body beneath him, and for even the quietest of objections.

"Okay, Rich," Eddie said, hand settling over Richie's own. Voice more awake than before, making Richie blanch.

Mark him down as shit at doing anything gently, he guessed. Heart pounding up and into his throat at the way Eddie's fingers were lacing with his own. "Holy shit," rushed out of him before he could even _think_ to censor himself. The words ghosting across the back of Eddie's neck and into the curls of his hair.

Eddie let loose a small breathy laugh, and said, "Goodnight Richie." And then, "Goodnight Ben."

"Night you guys. Love you," Ben said.

Richie's heart couldn't have grown any larger in that moment without bursting. "Love you too, Haystack," Richie said, eyes closed tight as he burrowed deeper into Eddie's back. "Love you, Eds."

"Yeah, alright." His tone was mocking, layered with long-suffering and resignation. But then he wriggled his head just slightly, pressing down into the cushion, and back, so that his head met the curve of Richie's neck. Settling underneath him even more. "Going back to sleep now," he said, tone a warning to not wake up him again, if Richie didn't want to get snapped at. Ruin the moment.

Swallowing down the exhilaration again, Richie forced his eyes closed. Forced himself to be lulled back to sleep by even breathing, warmth, and cotton-covered bones to form to.


	2. Chapter 2

The only evidence that Bill and Bev had come in to sleep, was Eddie's cushion, moved to the floor, and a mess of blankets above their heads when they awoke. Ben's spot was vacated, and Mike and Stanley still absent. Richie, in the silence and dim light of the morning, closed shudders on the windows, only woke because Eddie had turned over at some point, and was drawing his hand gently down Richie's jaw.

Blinking his eyes open, Richie immediately felt his cheeks heat when he realized Eddie _was_ touching his face, and was there, close, looking at him, leg still slotted with his own. Throat dry, in much need of a drink, Richie croaked out a good morning and said, craning his head back slightly, "I probably have morning breath."

Eddie smiled at him fondly, one eye budged up by a bulging cheek, with his smile, as he made up for the space Richie had added between them by moving closer. "Me, too."

Richie swallowed, coating his throat with what little he could, to make his voice less jagged when he got up the courage to grasp Eddie's hand from his face, pulling it down to hold between their chest. "Hey, Eds?"

"Yeah, Richie?" Eddie asked, smiling like he was about to laugh, like he knew exactly what was going to come out of Richie's mouth next.

"Does this mean we're dating now?" He hated himself, a little, for the way he couldn't keep his eyes focused on Eddie's, but somewhere beyond his head instead. Nervous and unsure. It wasn't even the question he'd actually meant to ask. Not really. It was just related to it. Messy and - he'd jumped ahead of himself. He'd meant to figure out, first, if last night had been more like with Ben... Because he was pretty sure that Eddie, at least, knew it wasn't for Richie. But that didn't mean it was anything but platonic on his side. Like Eddie was just okay with it cause Richie was his friend and he knew Richie wouldn't take advantage of his kindness, or whatever. Yet his dumbass mouth went and said _that_ anyway.

"Haaaave you _asked_ me on a date?" Eddie asked, eyes teasing just a little, tone too. Still, he squeezed Richie's hand in his, and pushed himself just that much closer to Richie's, their noses lined up and almost pressed together.

Sucking in a breath, Richie glanced down, gauging Eddie before he asked, rough and high-pitched all at once, "Will you... go on a date with me?"

"Maybe." Eddie smirked at the expression that appeared on Richie's face after: Put out. Clearly not the response he'd been looking for. "It doesn't seem like much thought went into it. D'you even know where you'd take me?" he pressed, thumbing over the back of Richie's knuckles to show he wasn't being unkind.

"The park. To swing?" And he knew it still wasn't thought-out, by any means the way he blurted it out. 

But he liked the thought of going to the park with Eddie, hoodies pressed up around their necks against the cold. Converse crunching over spilled leaves of orange, the chains of the swings cold in their hands until their warmth made it less stingingly so. Side by side for some time, until he convinced Eddie to sit facing him on his lap, while Eddie, whose arms and core were stronger than his own, held them steady while Richie wrapped his around Eddie's middle and pressed his face into Eddie's neck and breathed in the scent of honey-lavender soap he used. Maybe kissed him there, if Eddie'd let him. Kiss him all up and down his neck and his jaw over to the side of his nose, and then to his mouth while Eddie watched, eyes bright and teeth barely showing as he repressed his smile. Until their momentum slowed once more and Eddie could thread his fingers into Richie's mess of hair rather than holding, red, to the metal chains, tip Richie's head back and kiss his eyebrows, down the bridge of his nose, meeting him at his mouth again.

It may have been something Richie'd considered over and over again while fading out during classes, the butt of his palm pressing red marks into his cheek and down his jaw.

Eddie considered him, and the urgency in his tone, like he wanted to please Eddie but also like he was so desperate for it that he just couldn't take any more than a moment's time to prepare his answer. Get Eddie to agree. He wanted to kiss him then, for being sweet. Wanted to tell him how pretty he was and how much he didn't care about morning breath and how if he'd been any more awake last night his nerves probably would've lit on fire several times over and had him acting similarly eager for it. The touches and... this. 

He'd spent several minutes before waking Richie up, questioning whether he should just get up and forget it, make like it was friendly and like he didn't hear the awe and happiness dripping from Richie's uttered 'holy shit' when he'd folded their hands together. Bravery gone in the daylight, and confidence earned from Richie's meek voice dissipating over the hours of sleep. The best damn sleep. 

The thought of letting it go became unbearable. And so he played through the murky memories over and over until he worked up the courage to trace Richie's jaw, pull him to so that he could study Richie's reaction. When his cheeks splotched crimson, and he tried not to offend Eddie with his breath, Eddie'd relaxed into the comforter below, into Richie's presence once more. "Bring a _clean_ blanket so we can lay on top of the play-set, too, and you have yourself an official 'yes'."

If he was gonna have a date with Richie, finally, he wanted to take full advantage of it. Lie back and maybe stargaze as the early night settled in. Hold Richie's hand between them, as they cuddled close for warmth.

A deserted playground for all the cold Derry produced, and the way people still dreaded sundown. Rightfully so. But the Losers had spent years being guarded, testing. As long as they were together. As long as there was someone else with them, someone trusted, it'd been okay. Safe, even. At least for a few decades anyway, hopefully.

Richie beamed. "Then we have a date. Swing by your house at four-thirty?" Eddie nodded, shifting to hook his ankle around Richie's just a little more. Now that he knew for sure, what this was. "...Do you do pre-date kissing?" Richie asked, then looking at him like he saw a whole other world in Eddie's eyes.

He felt himself swallow thickly, around nothing, cheeky smile dropping slightly before he said, "I don't know yet. We have a whole six hours of pre-date left." Richie's brow twitched up, but then he nodded minutely in response, looking as if he took Eddie's words as a challenge. "But don't get your 'hopes' up, if you know what I mean," Eddie told him, grinning deviously.

"Impossible. You always get it up..." Richie breathed, matching Eddie's smile.

"Richie," Eddie said, laughing, barely an admonishment.

"What gets your 'hopes' up, huh, Eds? Tell me so I can come to our date prepared."

" _Oh_ no... You'll have to figure _that_ out on your own." Eddie moved to get up, then, stomach empty, and the sounds from the kitchen only getting louder. Richie grabbed him by the wrist, though. Swiftly pulling him back, and using his other hand to brace Eddie by the neck.

"Eddie," Richie breathed, playful smile gone, studying Eddie's eyes, as he swallowed, then said, "I'm really excited."

His heart ached, and Eddie couldn't help it; he blushed from one cheek to the other. Eyes crinkling, he said, "I know," and then tipped his head back to press their mouths together. What could he say? He was a sucker for sincerity.

He moved to get up a second time, but Richie whined, " _C'mon_ , Eds, don't leave me..."

Rolling his eyes, Eddie poked Richie in the cheek. "Get up and come have breakfast with me then, lazy."

"It's before noon. On a Saturday. It's against the law."

Huffing out an exasperated breath, Eddie firmly dislodged himself from Richie's hold and got up, anyway. "Then eat cold waffles by yourself, later..." he said, over his shoulder, walking purposefully slow.

He grinned, winning, when Richie groaned, and got up from their makeshift cot. Quickly, he crowded up behind Eddie so that he was draped across his back as Eddie walked them toward the kitchen. "You're breakin' my heart, Eds," he drawled, hooking an arm over Eddie's shoulders, and around his front loosely.

Eddie paused, and then turned around, forcing Richie to step off of him a half a foot or so, lest he should fall down. "Hmm..." Eddie said, sticking a sliver of his tongue out the side of his mouth, between his teeth. Then he lifted a fist to gently knock at Richie's chest. "Let me see..." He turned his wrist, knocking again. Then cupped one ear with both hands, leaning over where Richie's heart would be. Then, finally, pressed his ear, and half his face there. Pretending to listen for any unusual clanking, or the complete lack of sound. Heart pounding, Richie's arms wrapped helplessly around Eddie, hugging him to his chest. Eddie laughed, abrupt, at the needy action, and then offered his diagnosis: "A little fast, but not at all broken."

"That's because you're close," Richie said, giving Eddie a squeeze, chin pressed to Eddie's head. Prompting him to encircle Richie with his own arms. "It's when you walk away from me that it hurts."

"Ah," Eddie said, speculatively. "Well, in that case I recommend you hold my hand, and keep up, Mr. Tozier. Doctor's orders."

Richie smiled, triumphant and placated. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Dr. K. You always give the most sound advice. Medically-speaking."

"It's why I spent a fortune on school," Eddie sighed, playing the part of a man who'd spent year's worth of salary to get his job, and only managed to receive a modicum of the respect he ought to have, for it.

Richie kissed the top of Eddie's head, before letting go enough to wrap Eddie's hand up in his own. "Am I doing it right?"

"Surprisingly," Eddie said, pulling Richie along to the kitchen, with a squeeze of his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unexpected third chapter, due to the prompt I received: [star-gazing](https://jacksbrak.tumblr.com/post/175191421925/looking-at-the-stars-reddie). It fit in too well to not use as an addition here.
> 
> I take prompts [here](https://jacksbrak.tumblr.com/ask), for any pairing within the Losers Club/Party ( _Stranger Things_ ) including moresomes and crossovers.

"Okay. And what's that set called?" Eddie asked, nose wrinkled in a laugh. Richie had his hand wrapped around Eddie's far hand, arm underneath Eddie's back, where they were lying on top of the playground set at the park, over a thick woolen blanket of orange plaid. His finger was also aligned with Eddie's, as Eddie pointed out the area of the sky he meant. drawing a shape around the stars, almost directly above his own chest.

Of course, because of their different viewpoints, Richie had to watch his and Eddie's hands, more than look at the actual sky. "Hmm..." Richie hummed, turning his eyes down from the blackened sky overhead, to the side of Eddie's face, pulling Eddie closer by flexing the arm beneath him. Eddie's eyes fell to meet his, noses brushing. "Well we've already found Bill's Bike, Ben's Book, and Bev's Bra..." Eddie snorted at the reminder, and over the pattern, too.

"Rich, you realize that Orion's Belt is just one of many constellation names, and not every set of stars is Someone's Something, right?" Eddie asked, folding his finger down into his fist, Richie's falling in line.

Richie's eyebrows curved together in an offended frown. "Uh, _excuse_ me, Eddie, but I believe _you're_ the doctor of hearts, and _I'm_ the doctor of stars. I think I know what I'm talking about..."

Biting back one half of his smile, Eddie tried to school his eyes, make himself appear more chastised than amused. "Right, you're right. Of course you do. Please continue to enlighten me."

"Well," Richie said, still sounding haughty, before he looked upwards again, guiding Eddie's hand down so that he could wrap his arm over Eddie's stomach, "Since you asked so nicely - Mike's Milk."

Eddie's stomach clenched in on a laugh, and then he was rolling over so that he was half on top of Richie, looking down into his eyes, a hand clasped over his shoulder, into the down fibers of his poofy jacket. "Mike's Milk?" Eddie asked, incredulous and high-pitched.

"Mike's... Sheep Milk, if you want me to be more scientifically technical," Richie said seriously, before his heart started ticking faster again, catching up to how close Eddie's face was. He watched, face softening from the facade of before, while Eddie muttered the word 'sheep' between them. When his bright eyes turned back down to meet Richie's, after having glanced up to the sky as if to ask some greater force why Richie was so utterly ridiculous, Richie felt a soft sigh escape from between his lips. "Jesus, Eds... How the hell did we end up here? I feel like I'm gonna wake up any second now."

Mouth loosening from a smirk to something more gentle, more warm, Eddie dipped his head forward, and gave Richie's lips the barest of kisses. "Well, don't."

"Don't wake up?"

"Exactly," Eddie said letting the side of his face fall to Richie's chest, only to burrow in deeper as Richie's arms wrapped around him, holding him close.

"You promise to stay, as long as I don't?" Richie asked, soft, eyes tracing over the thousands of white glowing speckles staring back at them.

Eddie nodded his head, and then kissed Richie's chest, over his zipper. "I'll stay if you'll stay."

Richie swallowed, feeling an ache grow in his chest as he thumbed over Eddie's spine. "Deal."

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Never Say Die" by CHVRCHES.


End file.
